Kokomo
by cmaddict
Summary: MacStella. Everybody knows a little place like Kokomo.
1. Aruba, Jamaica

**A/N: **Well, here it is. I know I told some people I'd start writing this a couple of weekends ago, but as usual, life got in the way. I had a big Biology test last week, and then Thursday I ended up getting sick. This particular story is the product of a very, very long couple of days, and I almost waited until tomorrow to post it since it's now 11 p.m. here, but I wanted to get it up today. I hope you guys enjoy it, and I really hope I stayed in character with this one. I liked writing it. This song kept popping up on my iPod while I was at work, and I just had to use it. Thank you to all who reviewed "Sunday Morning"! As usual, leave your comments at the end!

**Disclaimer:** I am in no way affiliated with CBS, Jerry Bruckheimer, etc. I'm just borrowing these guys for my own enjoyment, and I'll probably return them in better shape than they started out in. Song is "Kokomo" by the Beach Boys.

**Kokomo**

_Aruba, Jamaica__  
Ooo, I wanna take ya__  
To Bermuda, Bahamas,__  
Come on, pretty mama  
__Key Largo, Montego  
Baby, why don't we go_

February struck New York City with a vengeance. White flakes of snow poured from the sky in sheets of white, swirling around in the air before fluttering to the waiting ground. A stiff northern wind howled between the alleys and high rises, every so often sending another unfortunate New Yorker rushing down the street after a stray scarf or hat.

That day, I was supposed to be doing paperwork in my office. Sheldon and I had just finished a fairly high-profile case involving one of the city's most eligible bachelors, and the paperwork was a mile long. Mac and Danny were in the lab, working hard on another case.

Which left me alone in my office.

And when I'm alone in my office, I'm easily distracted. I have the patience of a hyped-up puppy.

So I sat with my back toward the doorway, staring out the window at the heavy snowfall. Big, fat flakes floating around in the wind, swirling and dancing and spinning on their way down.

I've always loved the snow.

Wait, let me rephrase.

I've always loved the _look_ of snow. How it drifts down from the clouds, so soft and white and pure. How they catch the light of the sun, twinkling and shimmering on the way down.

However, I absolutely _do not_ like the cold that inevitably comes with snow. I'm Mediterranean by descent. My ancestors came from Italy and Greece. Two places on earth that are by no means always cold. The few times I've been to Greece, it was warm and sunny, with a wonderful cool breeze blowing off the Mediterranean. The grass on the rolling hills was green and soft, and the trees offered sweet relief from the sun. No snow in sight.

Of course, it was spring, but that's beside the point.

The cold had already settled into the lab, and I pulled my suit jacket tighter around my shoulder. We'd been having a little trouble with the heat in the building lately, focusing it in rooms that actually needed temperature control and ignoring rooms like my office that didn't. Lack of funding, I suppose. I could never understand why the brass couldn't set aside a little money in the budget to fix our heating in the dead of winter, even with the recession. And that is precisely why I don't do bureaucracy – one of the tips I picked up from Mac in our fifteen years of friendship.

Mac.

An unbidden smile quirked the corners of my mouth as I thought about him. In fifteen years of friendship, you'd think we'd learned everything there was to know about each other. But then, about four months ago, he'd told me that he was finally ready to start something – together. Completely and totally out of the blue. But certainly not unwelcome. It had been a hope that lingered in the back of my mind for years after Claire died, but I never expected it to come true. That night, at the restaurant where he told me, I didn't even need to think about it. I'd already thought about taking that kind of step enough – what it would mean for the lab, what it would do for our friendship. Friendships evolve, people change.

We made sense, Mac and I. We balance each other. The transition from friends and coworkers to lovers wasn't a difficult one at all. Keeping our relationship under wraps wasn't as hard as either of us had expected. What happened at work stayed at work, and what happened at home stayed at home. We were all right with that. We didn't need to be in constant contact to know how much the other person cared.

I sighed and turned back to my paperwork, forcing myself to focus this time. Like I said, easily distracted when it's something mundane like paperwork.

Paperwork is definitely not my friend.

Suddenly the lights overhead flickered once. I glanced up, praying that the power wouldn't completely go out. I'd heard that the Bronx had lost power that morning, and I was hoping that it wouldn't get so bad here in Manhattan.

Apparently my hopes are rather misplaced.

Because as soon as I thought that, the lights flickered one more time and then extinguished completely, plunging the lab into almost total darkness. Only the red emergency lights toward the stairs illuminated the lab. I pulled the jacket even tighter around my shoulders and swore softly in Greek. Of all the days…

Groans and muffled curses echoed through the hallways. I could hear Danny's distinctive voice all the way from the layout room. "Hey, who turned off the lights?" he shouted.

"Hey, I didn't know you were afraid of the dark, Messer," Flack's voice retorted.

"If I could see you, you'd be dead, Flack."

I grinned at their banter. Then Mac's voice floated down the hallway toward me. "All right, no one leaves the evidence unattended. Generators should kick on in about half an hour." The sound of his voice got progressively closer, and I turned around in my chair. Before long, I could see his silhouette in my doorway, illuminated from behind by the bright red emergency light. I'd recognize that shadow anywhere.

"Hey," he said softly, crossing the threshold into my office.

"Hey yourself." I leaned back in my chair. "Everything under control?"

"Always." I couldn't see him that well, but I just knew he was flashing me a big grin. "You okay in here?"

I lifted an eyebrow at him as he stepped farther into my office, sinking down on the couch across from me. "You checking up on me, Mac Taylor?"

He shook his head, and I could've sworn that I saw just a hint of a grin in the low light. "I'd never dream of doing something like that."

I chuckled softly. He knew me too well.

"How's the paperwork coming?" he asked.

"Let's just put it this way. The way it's going now is the way it was going before the lights went out."

Mac chuckled and shifted in his seat. "I sorta figured."

"How's the case?"

"Danny had something just before the power died. He's keeping an eye on it now."

Just then, we heard a crash and a muffled curse that sounded strangely like Danny come from the layout room. Mac slowly turned back to face me, and I resisted the urge to grin. "You gonna check up on that?"

He shook his head. "I don't think I wanna know."

"Flack, you son of a –" Danny's voice reverberated down the hall, followed by the distinct sound of Flack and Hawkes' combined laughter.

I bit my lip, attempting to hide a grin as Mac dropped his head to his hands. "Definitely don't wanna know," I said.

Suddenly I shivered, struck by how cold it really got in my office. It seemed to seep in through the windows until it sank into my bones. And that jacket wasn't doing me a bit of good.

Somehow Mac noticed, and he looked at me with a concerned expression on his face. "You cold, Stella?"

I nodded. "A little."

Mac glanced around and, apparently satisfied that we were completely alone, he held out his arm along the back of the couch. "C'mere," he said, patting the back of the seat cushion next to him.

I raised an eyebrow at him skeptically. We were in the lab, and this was definitely beyond the scope of "no PDA at work." Those rules that we had agreed upon when we started dating were what we lived by.

He gave me a look that I could easily interpret, even in the low light. "Stella," he said softly.

"Mac." As his phony frown deepened, I sighed. "We're in the lab."

"So we'll look like two friends trying to keep each other warm on a very snowy day. They say body heat is the best way to avoid hypothermia."

"Yes, but to do that, you're also supposed to remove all your clothes." Mac wagged his eyebrows at me, and the laugh escaped before I could stop it. "No, sir. That definitely goes beyond friends."

He sighed, pretending to be annoyed. "You're probably right."

"Aren't I always?"

"Wouldn't have it any other way." As another shiver wracked my body, he patted the back of the cushion again. "Now will you get over here before you catch cold?"

I sighed again and pushed myself off the chair. Somehow I just can't resist him, and judging by the look on his face at that moment, he knew it. I sank into the soft cushion next to him, snuggling into his warm side. His arm immediately wrapped against my shoulder, and he rested his cheek against my curly head.

"That's not so bad, is it?" he asked, his warm breath against my head.

"I guess I'll survive."

Mac chuckled and pulled me closer. "You really know how to make a guy feel good."

"Hmm, and don't you forget it."

We sat like together for several minutes, watching the snow drift in front of the window, Mac's fingers lightly trailing up and down my arm. Everyone in the lab had apparently decided to hole up somewhere until the generators kicked in, so we were left completely alone. It was a rare occasion indeed.

"So what were you thinking about before I got here?" he asked softly, brushing his lips against my forehead briefly.

"Hmm?"

"You said you weren't getting much done on the paperwork. That usually means you have something on your mind."

"Oh." I shifted slightly, draping my hand across his knee. "I was trying to remember why I decided to stay in New York where it's cold."

Mac chuckled and shook his head. "I thought you like the snow."

"I do. But I don't like the cold."

"You know, those two usually go hand-in-hand."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious." He laughed again and pressed another kiss into my hair. "I've always wanted to go somewhere warm. With sun and beaches and ocean."

"What about Hawaii?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, that's a nice place. I was thinking more along the lines of the Bahamas."

"Bahamas, huh?"

"Jamaica, Aruba, the Florida Keys. Lying in the sand, with the sun on my face and a cool breeze blowing off the ocean. Maybe a Mai-Tai or a Mojito in my hand and a cabana boy waiting on my every need."

"Steel drum band back there too?"

I grinned. "Oh, that's a must."

Mac chuckled again and wrapped his arm tighter around my shoulder. "You've been listening to the Beach Boys again."

I slapped him lightly on the arm. "Don't be cute." Who was I kidding; he can't help it.

"I could see you on a beach in the Bahamas somewhere." I glanced at him quickly, and he nodded just once. "Except, I was sort of thinking…"

His voice trailed off, and I glanced at him again. "What?"

"Well…" he sighed again and ran a hand through his short dark hair. "I was thinking it would be _us_ on that beach in the Bahamas."

I stared at him, mouth agape, for several long moments. I just couldn't help it. Mac Taylor didn't take vacations, and he certainly had never suggested taking one with me. Not once in the fifteen years I'd known him.

"You and me lying on that beach. Not a care in the world, not a homicide or a rape in sight. Just you and me and the ocean. Maybe we'll rent a boat or something and head out to sea, just for the day. Watch the sunset over the ocean, talking about how the red and pink and orange reflects off the cool clear water."

Was I really hearing him right? Was he actually talking about taking a vacation?

"We could stay at one of those resorts they have down there," he continued. "Sid went to the Bahamas for a second honeymoon a while back, and he was telling me about all the stuff they have down there. Scuba diving, deep sea fishing, horseback riding along the beaches. And they have them for pretty good deals too."

Finally my brain decided to work, and I shook my head slowly, still completely shell-shocked. "You've really thought this through, haven't you?"

"A guy can dream. Besides," he squeezed my arm lightly, "I don't like the idea of any cabana boy waiting on you while you're in a bikini."

I laughed at that and reached up to brush my finger along his jaw – my version of kissing him when circumstances wouldn't allow such displays of affection. "You're cut e when you're jealous."

"Thank you."

"Mac, you're really serious about this?"

He nodded just once, pulling back to look me in the eye. "We can plan, Stel. Maybe sometime this summer?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but just then, we heard the hum of the generators. Within a couple of seconds, the lights flickered on, then off, then on again. Cheers erupted from down the hall, and Mac and I grinned at each other.

"We should probably get back to work," Mac said. His gray-blue eyes twinkled at me in the light, and I felt my heart jump.

"Probably." He untangled himself from me and groaned wearily as he stood. Before he managed to walk away, however, I grabbed his hand. "Hey." He looked at me with a curious glint in his eye. "We'll talk about this later, okay?"

He grinned and gently caressed my fingers with his thumb, knowing that it was a promise I had every intention of keeping. "Absolutely."

_Ooo, I wanna take you to Kokomo__  
We'll get there fast, and then we'll take it slow  
That's where we wanna go  
__Way down to Kokomo_

I didn't see Mac for the rest of that day. Flack called him early in the afternoon to a case in TriBeCa, and I had mounds of paperwork to finish without him distracting me. Fortunately the generators stayed working, and by mid-afternoon, the department handymen had let me know that the power would actually stay on.

The cheers that went up from my colleagues rivaled those from earlier.

When the minute hand on the clock on my wall hit seven, I stood up with a stretch and a yawn. It had been a long day. Though I'd finished the paperwork, the conversation with Mac still weighed heavily on my mind. The prospect of actually going away with him thrilled me. But I had to wonder if we were ready for that step. It had taken us fifteen years to get to the point of actually dating. Was going on a week-long vacation to the Bahamas moving too quickly? Mac didn't like to be pressured into doing anything, which was part of the reason his relationship with Peyton flopped.

My iPhone buzzed at me from where it sat on the corner of the desk, and a little smirk played at the corners of my mouth when I saw who it was. Speak of the devil.

"_You almost done?" _his text message read.

"_Just leaving_,_"_ I typed back, my fingers moving across the screen rapidly. _"You've been a stranger today."_

"_Got caught up in the case. Dinner tonight?"_

The smirk immediately evolved into a full-fledged grin. _"Your place or mine?"_

He responded in less than five seconds. _"Meet you at my place?"_

I shook my head amusedly and typed in my reply. _"Be there in twenty."_

Sure enough, just a few minutes before seven-thirty, I pulled open the door to the building, nodding a greeting at the doorman there. The young man waved back, recognizing me from the other times I'd visited Mac's apartment, even before we started dating. Even in the craziness that was my life, Mac's place always represented safety and security for me.

Just like the man himself.

Once in the elevator, I pressed the button for the fifth floor and sighed wearily. It really had been a long day. And that vacation to the Bahamas was sounding better and better as the snowfall outside got worse. Especially with the thought of Mac as my cabana boy…

The elevator dinged its arrival on Mac's floor, cutting that line of thought just in time. I smiled to myself and shook my head. _I've got it bad_, I thought as I rounded the corner from the elevator to Mac's apartment door.

I tapped my knuckles softly on his door, waiting for his invitation in. Briefly the thought crossed my mind that it would be much easier if we actually swapped keys. But I banished that thought quickly. I was just getting him to the point of talking about vacations together. No need to freak him out now.

"Come in!" his voice resounded from within.

I grinned, turned the doorknob quietly, and pushed the door open…

Only to get the biggest surprise of my life.

Mac had hung posters of beaches and resorts all over his apartment. Two fake palm trees hovered over me, resting on either side of the door, and a beach umbrella shaded his couch. Soft music played in the background, the distinctive sound of steel drums wafting through the air. Somewhere else, I heard the crashing of the ocean, just soft enough to blend nicely with the steel drums.

"So, what'dya think?"

Mac's voice startled me, and I whipped my head to the left to see him leaning next to the kitchen counter. He held two cocktails in his hands, and a huge grin was plastered across his face.

"How…?" was the only thing I could manage to say.

"I have some friends with connections." He sauntered over to me and handed me one of the drinks. "Mai-Tai?"

I shook my head and brushed an errant curl from my face. "Why…?"

"I thought since we can't go to Bermuda now, I can bring Bermuda to you."

His words melted me. I smiled at him as I blinked back the tears stinging my eyes, trying to remember the last time someone did something so sweet for me. "This is all… absolutely amazing, Mac," I whispered.

Mac leaned in and brushed his lips over mine. "I'm glad you liked it. I figured this could work until we manage to actually get away."

Surprised, I pulled back. There he went, talking about getting away again. I was beginning to think he was actually serious about this.

He furrowed his brow at me. "What?"

"Mac, don't get me wrong…" I sighed and set my drink down on the end table next to me. "I love the idea of going away with you. I'd like nothing better. But…" I sighed again, frustrated and worried that I would hurt his feelings. "Taking a vacation together is quite a step. Are you sure… you know… are you sure we're ready for this?"

"Why do you think we're not?"

Such a simple question caught me completely off guard. "Well…" I fumbled for the right words, not quite used to being left speechless. "We just started dating a few months ago. And I usually have to twist your arm to get you to stay home when you're sick, and I know it took some serious bribery for Peyton to get you away. Going away together… I mean…"

Mac shook his head, set down his drink next to mine, and gently cupped either side of my face with his hands. The feel of his warm, calloused palms on my skin completely broke my train of thought, and as my green eyes met his gray-blue ones, every single doubt I ever possibly had seemed inconsequential.

"Listen to me, Stella," he said softly but firmly, stroking my cheekbone with his thumb. "You and me… It took more convincing for me to go away with Peyton because it wasn't right. I don't care about taking big steps with you, because with you, it's an adventure and I can't wait to find out how it ends. We're right."

He pressed a whisper of a kiss against my cheek, and I moaned as his lips traveled up my face to the corner of my eye. "Mac," I groaned, feeling his evening stubble scratch lightly against my skin.

"You and I are right where we need to be," he whispered, his breath warm on my face. "We make sense." Then he pulled back, his eyes meeting mine again. "We're ready, Stella. I'm ready to make that step. With you."

At his words, all of the worries I'd had before vanished, and I marveled at the amazing, wonderful, _lovely_ man standing in front of me. I shook my head once and smiled as I snaked my arms around his neck. "So when do we start the planning?"

His face split into a big grin, and he wrapped his arms around my waist. My knees went weak as he kissed me slowly and surely, his lips moving over mine in a wonderful, beautiful dance. I threaded my fingers through his short dark hair, intent on pulling him closer to me, not wanting to let him go. It had taken us fifteen years to get to this point, and by God, I was going to make the most of it. So was he, softly kissing each corner of my mouth before taking my bottom lip between his and softly grazing his tongue against it.

Finally he pulled back, brushing his lips one more time at the juncture of my jaw and neck. A shiver ran up my spine, and I could feel him grin against my skin. "You're not cold, are you?" he rasped, his voice husky.

I chuckled and pulled away, smiling as his eyes twinkled at me. "Definitely not."

"Good."

Suddenly, a brightly colored package sitting ever so innocently on the counter caught my eye. "Mac," I said, trying to ignore the feel of him nuzzling my neck.

"Hmm?"

"Someone giving you gifts?"

He pulled away and twisted his head around, a thoughtful look on his face. "Oh, that." He looked back at me, and I raised an eyebrow at him curiously. "Actually, that's for you."

Both of my eyebrows shot up at that. "Me?" I echoed.

"Yep." The corner of his mouth quirked up, and he jerked his head toward it. "You wanna check it out?"

I nodded vigorously. "You know I do."

Mac grinned again. "I figured you might." He released me and grabbed it off the counter, back before it really even registered that he'd gone.

I slowly opened the bag, and I could feel a slow grin spread across my face. He would… of course, he would. Mac Taylor actually had a latent sense of humor, a fact that I had actually enjoyed discovering over the last few months. I reached into the bag and pulled out a silky smooth, dark blue string bikini with a silver metal ring joining the two cups.

"Care to, uh, explain how you got this in the middle of February?" I asked, pulling both parts of the bikini from the bag as I let the container fall to the hardwood floor.

He shrugged, a hint of a smile on his face. "That case I worked this afternoon was a robbery at a department store." I raised an eyebrow at him, but let him continue. "The guy wasn't one of the smarter criminals we've tracked down – left some fingerprints on a case of jewelry he smashed."

"Makes things easy for us."

"That's what I thought. Manager was so grateful he showed me the line of swimsuits that were in the back of the store. Gave me my pick."

My eyebrows almost hit my hairline. "You're kidding."

He shook his head. "Nope."

"So you picked this one?"

Mac nodded. "I thought you might like it."

My fingers played with the soft fabric of one of the straps. "You're right. You have good taste." He grinned, and I smirked at him impishly. "You like it too, don't you?"

"Well…" he shrugged again, a slight flush coming over his face.

I cradled the two thin pieces of fabric in one hand and gently traced the line of his bicep with one finger. "You know what I'm thinkin'?" He shook his head, swallowing hard as his eyes darkened from a clear gray-blue to steel. "I'm thinkin' I should try this on. Just to make sure it fits before we actually make it to a vacation."

The corners of his mouth tilted in a smirk. "I don't suppose you'd need any help with that?"

I shrugged my shoulder and gently took his hand in mine, ducking to avoid the beach umbrella and pulling him toward the bedroom on the other side of the apartment. "These strings get a little… tricky. I might need the help of a certain cabana boy."

Mac grinned as he pushed open the door to his bedroom and wrapped an arm around my waist. "I look great in swim trunks."

I pressed an agonizingly slow kiss to his lips. "I'm sure you do," I mumbled as I kicked the door shut.

Safe to say… our vacation started a little early this year.

_Everybody knows a little place like Kokomo  
__Now if you wanna go, and get away from it all  
Go down to Kokomo_


	2. Take You to Kokomo

**A/N**: So I think this one requires a little explanation, coupled with a very sincere apology. Truthfully, I'd planned on leaving this a one-shot so I could move on to other projects, but somehow this always stuck in the back of my mind as possibly unfinished. Now, this summer I was feeling a little down about not getting a vacation because of school and work, and I'm in desperate need of one. But then the second chapter of this got into my head. So I figured since I can't get a vacation, I can at least get a vacation by proxy. So I'm incredibly, deeply sorry this is about four months late, but it's here.

I literally wrote most of this last night while I was at work, and then I finished it up this morning, so it hasn't been beta'd at all. But I hope you guys enjoy this, and I hope it was the vacation idea you were looking forward to. Be prepared for some major, major fluff ahead... I figure I'm writing so much suspense lately, fluff is a good thing.

Oh, and as a cap to this very long author's note, for those of you following "Justice Is Served", I'll be updating that tomorrow. Enjoy! And as always, leave a review with your thoughts!

Joannahobbit... this is my gift to you :D

* * *

_Ooo, I wanna take you to Kokomo  
We'll get there fast and then we'll take it slow  
That's where we wanna go  
Way down to Kokomo_

Summer's heat was in full force. The air was hot and sticky, clinging to anything and everything. The sounds and smells of summer - the rumbling of jackhammers and the stench of car exhaust - wafted through the atmosphere.

I waved a piece of paper in front of my face and leaned back in my desk chair, sighing at the cool breeze brushing my face. It was boiling hot even in the lab, and my personal fan was on the fritz, which I was not happy about. Every time I stepped outside, it was like I was walking into the world's hottest sauna. The air was completely still, with no breeze blowing off either river and no relief whatsoever from the oppressive heat.

Only one thing made the heat worthwhile: The knowledge that in a matter of hours, Mac and I would be on a plane heading to Bermuda for a week.

It had been nearly five months since that cold February day in my office. A lot had changed in those five months. Danny and Lindsay had an adorable baby girl, and after a few rocky points in our relationship, Mac and I had actually moved in together. Things were getting serious, and I don't think that I could've been any happier with him. After Frankie and Drew and the other slew of bad men I was involved with, Mac was my knight in shining armor. He treated me better than anyone else in the world. Of course, we had our arguments; we're two very stubborn people. But we cared deeply for one another.

Our relationship was the only thing that kept me going on tough cases. I'd glance over at him and see his lips pressed into a thin line and a concerned glint in his blue eyes. And once we'd solved the case, he'd take me home and curl up on the couch with me, holding me tight against his chest while I either cried or yelled.

It was during one of those times that he first said he loved me, before we moved in together.

A little girl, no more than ten years old, had been brutally murdered and left in the street. Later we discovered that she was an orphan. Through a series of bizarre circumstances we found her killer quickly. But her face haunted me, even after we closed the case. Without saying a word, Mac took my hand in his and pulled me into a deserted hallway in the lab. Immediately I felt the tears spring up in my eyes, and he embraced me tightly, rubbing my back as I hid my face in his chest.

And then he whispered those three words in my ear. When I pulled away to look at him again through my tears, he just smiled at me, pressed his lips to my forehead, and said them again.

Good God, I thought my heart was going to explode in that moment. I'd waited six years to hear those three words from his mouth directed at me, and when I did, I was dumbfounded.

His smile had widened, and he stared at me with hopeful eyes, silently prompting me to reply.

After long, long moments of stunned silence, I took his face between my hands, brushed my thumbs over his face, and told him I loved him too.

"Hey."

Mac's familiar baritone interrupted my private musings, and I looked up at him with a smile on my face. "Hey yourself."

"You look pensive."

My smile widened, and I leaned back in my chair. "Thinking about you."

One eyebrow rose, and a twinkle appeared in his blue-gray eyes. "Oh?"

"Mmhmm." I grinned at him salaciously. "Thinking about you and me, on soft white sand. Blue ocean in front of us, secluded beach around us. Wearin' nothing but a -"

"Stella!" he hissed. I laughed at the tinge of pink spreading across his cheekbones.

"What? Don't tell me you weren't thinking of it too."

His blue eyes suddenly darkened and I gulped, recognizing that look in his eyes. "Honestly?" he said, his voice lowering into a husky growl that sent shivers down my spine. "That's all I've been thinking about for the last two weeks."

"Really?"

"Really." Mac stepped closer to me and tilted my chin up with one of his fingers, his eyes boring into mine. "I just don't want anyone else to get to share my fantasy."

Heat pooled in my belly at the spark in his eyes. God, that man knew exactly how to turn me on!

Mac grinned slyly and stepped away. "Ready to go? We gotta be at the airport a couple of hours before our flight leaves."

Still a little dazed, I nodded and reached over to shut down my computer. "Yeah, just finishing up some stuff."

"You're completely packed, right?"

"Yep." I gestured to the suitcase sitting next to my desk. "Packed this morning before shift."

"And you're sure you have everything?"

I lifted my gaze to his, the corner of my mouth twitching slightly. "Are you giving me the third degree, Mac Taylor?"

"Look, I know how you get when you forget something, and I wanted to make sure..."

Laughing again, I held up a hand to stop him. "Mac, I'm sure I have everything." Stepping around my desk, I placed a hand on his chest and stood on my tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek. "Besides, I've got everything I need as long as you're with me."

"Aw, how sweet!" At the familiar voice, our heads snapped up. Don Flack was leaning against my doorframe, a smirk spreading across his handsome face. "Never thought I'd see you get so sappy, Bonasera."

"Don't you have paperwork to finish, Flack?" I shot back good-naturedly.

"Just wanted to stop by and wish you two a good trip." The detective had been incredibly supportive of my relationship with Mac. Actually, come to think of it, when we finally told the team we were dating, Flack given Danny a high-five and then demanded fifty bucks from Hawkes. Apparently there had been some sort of betting pool in the lab on how long it would take Mac and me to get together.

Mac extended his hand and shook Flack's amicably. "Thanks, Don."

"Now, here's a few pointers. One, use lots of sunscreen. Two, keep Stella away from those steel-drum players; they like to hit on pretty women. And three, if you're gonna have sex on the beach, use a blanket so you don't get the sand stuck in places you didn't know you had."

Mac and I snorted in laughter, and I reached up to pat Don on the cheek. "We'll keep those in mind."

"Good. I gotta get back to the squadroom. But have a good trip, you two." He leaned down and chastely kissed my cheek before shaking Mac's hand again. He spun on his heel and sauntered down the hall. Halfway down, he spun around and shouted, "And bring back some souvenirs!"

"Goodbye, Flack!" I yelled with a wave and a snicker.

Mac was still chuckling when I turned back around. "That blanket idea was actually pretty good."

I pointed a finger at him. "None of that, Mac Taylor," I warned.

He grinned, bending down to pick up my suitcase. "What? We couldn't try it once?"

Tapping my finger to my lips, I let a smile quirk the corner of my mouth and placed my hand on his bicep, tracing its outline seductively. "Well... maybe once."

_Bodies in the sand  
Tropical drink melting in your hand  
We'll be falling in love  
To the rhythm of a steel drum band_

I swear, Bermuda is one of the most beautiful islands I've ever seen.

After an incredibly long plane ride, a taxi took Mac and I from the airport down a beautiful beachside highway to our hotel. Immediately I rolled my window down, inhaling the salty sea air. Deep white sand lay on one side of the road, and green palm trees lined the other side, contrasted beautifully against the clear sapphire sky. The deep, cerulean ocean lapped gently at the beach, its waves peacefully serene.

This place was as close to heaven as I'd ever been.

"Mac, isn't this gorgeous?"

He leaned over, brushing his lips against the back of my neck. "Absolutely," he whispered, looking at me.

I turned my head and kissed his lips tenderly, smiling as I pulled away. "You're sweet."

"And you're beautiful." He kissed me again gently, fingering the strap of my sundress. "I think I'm the luckiest guy in the world."

Sighing softly, I leaned over and rested my head on his shoulder. He tucked me into his side, his hand trailing up and down my bare arm. Resting my hand on his thigh, I glanced down at his legs. Amazingly, he'd ditched the slacks and put on shorts and a t-shirt as soon as we got to the airport. Amused, I shook my head.

Mac noticed and nudged me. "What?"

Turning my face up to meet his gaze, I bit back a snicker. "Nothing."

"It's not nothing. What's so funny?"

I couldn't help it. The laughter bubbled up from within, and before long my shoulders were shaking with silent guffaws. "I'm sorry, Mac," I said, placing a hand on my chest, trying desperately to regain my composure. "I've just... I don't think I've ever seen you in shorts before."

He looked down at his legs, and though he tried to keep his expression stern, I spotted that little twitch at the corner of his mouth. "We're in the tropics, Stel. It's perfectly reasonable."

"Oh, I completely agree. It's just... a side of you I haven't seen. Not a bad side, just different."

The twitch at the corner of his mouth turned into a full-fledged grin. He waggled his eyebrows at me. "I plan on showing you quite a few sides you haven't seen."

My eyebrow went up, and I felt my mouth go dry at that prospect. We hadn't even gotten back to the hotel, and already my brain was firing its imaginative neurons! After my brain came back to reality from its momentary trip, I patted his cheek gently. "First we'll work on that tan of yours."

Mac laughed loudly as the taxi pulled to a stop under the awning of the hotel. The driver got out of the car and held the door open for me, tipping his hat politely as I stepped out. Mac got out on the other side, sliding on his sunglasses, the breeze ruffling his dark hair. The cabbie pulled our suitcases out of the car and set them next to the curb for a doorman. Mac paid him and after a quick "Welcome," the cabbie zoomed off into the distance.

Almost immediately a young man in a uniform hurried out of the hotel with a luggage cart and began loading up the bags. Mac held out his hand to me with a smile. "Come with me to check in?"

Interlacing my fingers with his, I smiled and walked with him into the hotel. A cool blast of air hit my face as the automatic doors slid open with a whoosh.

The lobby of the hotel almost took my breath away. It was decorated in light, summery yellows and blues and greens. Palm trees stood in either corner, and in the middle was a small bubbling fountain. Most of the windows were thrown wide open, letting the cool ocean breeze sift through the room. The floor was a clean white tile, and the light blue walls were simply but beautifully decorated. At the far end of the hotel, the dining room opened into a comfortable-looking patio with cushioned chairs and bright beach umbrellas.

As I stood taking all of this in, I felt a light tug on my arm, pulling me back to reality. Mac was staring at me with a curious look on his face. I smiled softly at him and squeezed his hand. "It's perfect."

He returned my smile and squeezed back. Then he led me to the front desk, where a handsome young man greeted us amiably. "Welcome to Bermuda, mon!" he gushed. "Checkin' in?"

"Yes," Mac replied, releasing my hand to draw out his wallet. "Reservations should be under Mac Taylor."

The young man's fingers flew over the keys, and he nodded. "Yes, Mr. Taylor. An ocean-side room for two, I believe. It is ready for you whenever you wish to look at it."

"That would be great."

He paid for the room quickly and, taking my hand again, led me down a long hallway to our room. Giving me a smile, he took the keycard given to him by the front desk and slipped it into the lock.

The door swung open silently, and I gasped.

It was a lovely little suite. A small white sofa was in the tiny living room, sitting against one wall, a glass coffee table in front of it. The queen-sized bed with a light-colored headboard rested on a raised dais, covered in a red floral duvet, a dresser across from it. On the other side of the bed was a sliding glass door that led to our own private patio overlooking the rolling ocean.

Not a rape, homicide, or microscope in sight.

Vaguely I heard Mac tip the bellboy for our bags, but I couldn't turn around. It was so absolutely wonderful it took my breath away.

I felt Mac's hand on my back, and I turned to look at him, tears threatening to roll down my cheeks. "Mac, this is absolutely perfect."

He smiled and gently grasped my shoulders. "It's perfect because I get to spend a week alone with the most amazing woman in the world."

Slowly I snaked my hands around the back of his neck, letting my fingers play with the short hairs at the back of his head. Mac's arms wound around my waist, pulling me toward him until I was flush with his body. "I love you," I whispered.

"I love you too."

His lips descended to mine, moving over them in a sweet, sweet dance. I moaned against them, and his arms tightened around me as he deepened the kiss, sweeping his tongue along my lips. My hands slid into his hair, tangling in the dark locks. Suddenly he lifted me up, and I pulled back to squeal his name in surprise.

"What?" he asked petulantly, lifting an eyebrow at me.

"That was a sneaky, sneaky move."

He hummed once and craned his neck to brush his lips against my throat before they traveled farther down. My head fell back of its own accord, and I felt him smirk against my skin.

"Mac?" I asked throatily. His lips skated across my clavicle in response. "I was thinking... you know, I could try..." I gasped as he nipped at my skin.

"You were saying?" he mumbled, his voice vibrating against my skin.

"Since we're here and all, I... I could..." He nipped my neck again and I lost all coherent thought for a moment. "I could... try out that new bikini you got me for... the trip."

He looked up at me, his eyes cobalt with desire. Wordlessly he carried me over to the bed, and I held my breath, waiting to see what he would do. Gently he set me down on the edge of the bed and knelt down in front of me. One hand slid down my calf to the strap of my shoes.

"I think there's plenty of time for that," he murmured, sliding off my shoe.

Grinning widely, I leaned forward and threaded my fingers through his hair, scraping my nails along his scalp. "I like the way you think."

_Afternoon delights,  
Cocktails and moonlight nights  
That dreamy look in your eyes  
Give me a tropical contact high_

Time seemed to fly by on Bermuda.

Most of our days were spent on the beach. White sand stretched as far as we could see, dotted with gorgeous palm trees here and there. The golden sun beat down on us gently, warm but not hot, illuminating a cloudless sapphire sky. The cool, clear blue ocean rolled in and out peacefully with the tide, harmonizing with the occasional cry of a sea gull.

One day Mac rented a boat, and we spent the whole day out on the ocean. He even packed a picnic lunch, complete with chocolate-covered strawberries and white wine. We sat on the deck and just talked - about New York, about Danny and Lindsay, about anything and everything.

Of course, talking turned into something else, but who was I to complain?!

Nights were a little different. After dinner, we walked along the beach, feeling the sand between our toes, my hand tucked safely in Mac's. The full moon brightly lit the night sky, casting its silver glow over us. Nights were my favorite time by far. A cool breeze blew off the ocean, sifting through my curls and gently caressing my face. We walked close to the water, letting the cool liquid lap at our feet, running in and out of the waves like children, picking up seashells buried in the sand.

It was such a simple time, free of the usual complications of our lives and our jobs. Here Mac and I had the liberty to be who we were without having to worry about the professionalism required around our subordinates. Here we could be who we were after the work was done and the case was solved. I was disappointed to see it come to a close.

Our last day on the island was spent much like the six days before. I lay on the beach, curls pulled back at the nape of my neck, dressed in the royal blue bikini Mac gave me back in February when we first talked about vacation. The afternoon sun's rays warmed my skin, and I sighed contentedly.

Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder. I glanced up and smiled at the sight of Mac's shadow hovering over me. "Here you go," he said, handing me a cocktail.

I grinned at him. "Thank you, cabana boy."

He snorted in laughter and sat down in the sand behind me. "You know, you're the only person in the world that can get away with calling me that."

"I know." I leaned back against his bare chest, using my free hand to grab his. "That's why I do it."

Mac chuckled. He reached out and set his hand on my leg, stroking it gently with calloused fingers from years of the guitar and the Marines. We sat in content silence for several moments. The gentle rolling of the waves said all that we needed to say.

Finally I sighed again and let my head fall back against his shoulder. "Do we have to leave tomorrow?"

"You wanna go home, don't you?"

"Maybe." His chuckle rumbled in his chest. His lips found the side of my neck, and I tilted my head to the side to give him better access. "It's so peaceful here."

"It is that."

"Let's move here."

"I don't think we can afford it, Stella. Besides, you'd miss Danny and Lindsay and Adam and Flack…"

Blowing out a breath, I shook my head. "I know. It's just… This has been the best week of my life, and I don't want it to end."

Mac rubbed my shoulders soothingly and kissed the top of my head. "Me too, Stella." He kissed the place just in front of my ear at the corner of my jaw, and I purred appreciatively. "But, hey, I have one more special surprise for you."

I twisted around to look him in the eyes. There was a twinkle in those blue-gray irises, and I knew instantly he was hiding something. "Oh?"

"Yep. So what do y'say we go inside and get changed into something a little nicer?" He stood up and brushed the sand off before holding his hand out to me.

"Nicer?" I asked, taking his hand and allowing him to pull me to my feet. "What kind of nicer?"

"Just nicer. And that's all you're getting out of me."

I huffed, feigning annoyance. "Fine."

Within a couple of hours Mac and I had both showered and changed into what he deemed "nicer clothes." I selected a white sun dress with a few large blue and green flowers across it, and I expertly tied the straps into a knot behind my neck. I'd decided to leave my curls down, letting them drape across my slightly sunburned shoulders. Mac liked it like that.

I'd just finished my mascara when I heard a noise from the direction of the bathroom door, and I turned my head to see Mac leaning against the doorframe like he always did. He was dressed in a light blue button-down shirt that brought out the blue in his eyes and dark dress slacks, looking every inch the handsome Marine he was.

"Don't tell me you're getting impatient already," I joked, turning back to the mirror to put on my lipstick.

"I like watching you get ready," he said softly. "It's like watching you transform from a beautiful woman to a goddess."

My cheeks flushed slightly at his words, and a huge grin spread across my face. "Careful. If you keep that up, you're going to make me cry and mess up my makeup."

He came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, pressing a kiss to the back of my neck. "You don't need it anyway."

Placing the lipstick back on the counter, I twisted in his arms and lightly brushed a kiss against his mouth. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he replied, lightly kissing me again. "Are you ready?"

"Ready when you are." Exiting the bathroom, I grabbed a shawl off the bed. Linking hands with Mac, we left the room and walked hand-in-hand to the lobby. A taxi idled in the parking lot, and I turned to look at Mac.

"Where're we going?"

He smiled mysteriously at me and pulled me gently toward the car, opening the door for me. "You'll find out."

I gave him a look but stayed silent as I slid into the taxi. Mac slid in next to me and, closing the door behind him, nodded at the cabbie. The driver smiled widely in the rearview mirror, and as he took off down the road, I had the distinct feeling those two shared a secret.

We drove for about a half hour through winding roads, Mac's arm around me for most of the drive. At last we emerged from a grove of palm trees, and the taxi came to a slow stop. Mac paid the driver and opened the door for me. Taking my hand in his, he led me down a path through another grove of palm trees.

My breath completely abandoned me when we stepped out into a clearing.

We were on a cliff overlooking a bright blue lagoon. The sun was slowly setting on the horizon, its crimson and orange and pink hues reflecting off the clear ocean beneath it. A few yards ahead was a table set for two, complete with flickering candles and a white cloth covering it. Not another human being was in sight, something that had been rare even in Bermuda.

Once I remembered how to breathe, I looked at Mac, who was staring at me with a hopeful smile on his face. "Well?" he asked. "What do you think?"

"Mac, this is…" He'd left me totally speechless. I struggled for words, but none seemed quite right. "This is…" Finally I settled on one, and it left me on a breath. "Beautiful. How'd you do it?"

"A man never reveals his secrets," he said, leading me toward a chair. Ever the gentleman, he pulled it out for me and once I sat down, he pushed it back to the table. "I thought our last night here should be special."

"Really, Mac, this is incredible." He sat down, and I immediately reached for his hand. "And far too much."

Lifting his head, he smiled gently at me and squeezed my fingers. "Nothing is too much for you, Stella."

With that, we settled down into our amazing dinner. Mangoes, pineapples, strawberries, and passionfruit made a fantastic fruit salad. The lemon chicken was grilled perfectly and rested atop an amazing rice pilaf. Mac even included a wonderful white wine to go with everything. That man continued to amaze me. To this day I still don't know how he did all he did, but it was certainly the most perfect night I'd ever experienced.

Conversation flowed as easily as ever between us as we finished our dessert – chocolate cake, which was heavenly. I'm not sure how many hours passed on that beautiful cliff overlooking the ocean, but by the time we finished, the sun had vanished behind the horizon and the moon had risen in the night sky.

Setting my fork down on the plate, I looked across the table at Mac. "Mac, this really was such a perfect surprise."

He gave me a slightly nervous smile, which I was rather shocked at. After all, what did he have to be nervous about? "It's not quite the whole surprise," he said softly.

My eyebrows nearly hit my hairline. "It's not."

"No." He cleared his throat and rubbed his chin anxiously, and I leaned forward a little in my chair. "You remember what we talked about back in February? About how we make sense together, and it's right between us?"

I nodded, fondly recalling that snowy winter day.

"Well," he cleared his throat again and wiped his hands on his pants. "Stella, I've been thinking a lot about you and me over the last couple of months, since we moved in together. Living with you has only confirmed what I knew maybe even years before we got together. We make sense, you and I. What we have is right."

My heart melted, and I smiled at him.

"I want to wake up to your face every morning. I want to come home to you every night. I want to be there to take care of you when you're sick, and you're the only one I want taking care of me."

Suddenly an idea dawned on me, and my mouth dropped open. Good Lord, was he saying what I thought he was saying?

He pushed back his chair and rose to his feet slowly, his gaze locked with mine. Even in the low light I could see the intensity in his blue orbs, and I thought my heart was going to ricochet out of my chest.

"Stella, there's no one else on earth I want to spend the rest of my life with. You've brought me back to the land of the living. You've constantly been my rock and my strength, the woman I turn to when life gets hard." He slowly walked around the table to stand before me, his eyes boring into mine.

"You've taught me how to love again when I thought it would never be possible."

The tears sprung to my eyes, and I bit back the sob that was working its way up my throat.

But then Mac dropped to one knee before me and pulled out one of those familiar little blue boxes. I gasped, covering my mouth with my hand. He must've been planning this for a long, long time if he'd managed to sneak one of those little blue boxes in his luggage!

"Stella," he said, taking my hand in his, "I love you. Will you marry me?"

The words resonated in my brain. Words that I'd only dreamed about hearing, especially from him. Words that meant everything in the world to me, because they were from the only man I'd ever trusted and the only man I ever really loved.

In the fog of my shock and my elation, I suddenly remembered that he was still waiting for an answer. When I looked down at him, he was staring at me, hope shining in those eyes I loved so much.

I leaned over and gently placed my hands on either side of his face, slowly tracing the outline of his jaw. "Yes," I whispered. "A thousand times yes."

His face split into the widest grin I'd ever seen from him, and he leaned forward to tenderly kiss me. He pulled away slowly and took the beautiful diamond solitaire ring from its box. With a wide smile, he slid the ring onto my finger, gently kissing it before he slid the ring to its final resting place. I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face in his shoulder, tears streaming down my face.

We stayed like that for a long time, basking in the glow of the moon, before he finally pulled back. Gently he brushed the pad of his thumb across my cheeks, wiping away the tracks left in the wake of my tears. "We should probably get back to the hotel," he whispered, the smile never leaving his face. "We've got packing to do."

I reached up and threaded my fingers through his hair, grinning at him. "You know, I think we're forgetting the promise we made to Flack."

"The souvenirs?"

I shook my head and my grin widened.

Suddenly his mouth formed an O, and a hint of a smirk played at the corner of his mouth. "Oh, you mean that other thing."

"Mmhmm."

"You really think he'll be that disappointed if we don't?"

I placed a saucy, sensual kiss to his lips and whispered, "Who cares?"

_Finis_


End file.
